A REP0RT ON THE ACTIONS OF THE

GEORGIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

2013

FY2013 Amended Budget• Cuts recommended by the Governor to Ag

Ed, CTAE, CIS, GHP, and RESA’s reduced by half (or more)

• No reduction in sparsity grants• LFMS adjusted by $6.6 million (all related to

charter school funding)• $167 million add for enrollment growth,

special needs vouchers, state special charter school funding (HB797), and charter systems

• $130k add for state charter school commission administration

• AUSTERITY CUTS STILL IN PLACE!!!

FY2014 Budget• Cuts recommended by Governor to Ag Ed,

CTAE, GHP, and RESA’s reduced• Many, many transfers of funds (e.g., Reading

Mentors program technology to GOSA, administration funds related to various divisions from central office to the specific programs)

• $335K reduction in funds for charter facility grants ($ still available for local start-up charter schools)

• Sparsity grant funding restored ($2.6 M)• AUSTERITY CUTS STILL THERE!!!

FY2014 Budget (cont’d.)• $291K funds added to SPED funding for

students in residential treatment centers

• NO CUT to school nutrition• $38 million to “fully fund” the new

equalization formula (Note: 14% decline in state average wealth per FTE over last two years!!)

• $5.2 million adjustment in LFMS (again, related to charter school funding)

FY2014 Budget (cont’d.)• More funds for nurses ($2.6 million) and

professional learning ($759K), but a one-year reduction in funds for counselors ($899K, related to changes in counselor/student ratios)

• $146.5 million to cover anticipated enrollment growth

• Transfer of $15.39 per FTE from central administration to classroom technology (hold harmless for smallest 18 systems)

• Elimination of Governor’s recommended cut of $1.28 million in ETC funds (returned to RESA’s)

• $7.2 million added for charter system grants (per HB283)

FY2014 Budget (cont’d.)

• The bond package– All capital outlay programs/requests funded at the

100% level– $7 million in grants to improve technology

infrastructure (Rules from DOE soon)– $3.6 million to purchase vocational equipment– $20 million to purchase buses (80% of amount

bonded in previous years)

FY2014 Budget (cont’d.)

• The “biggie:” Health insurance– Employer’s rate set for 2013-14 is $945 PMPM– DCH required to announce “range” of anticipated MID-

YEAR increase for 2013-14 by MAY 15 (final number would be included in Governor’s FY2014 Amended Budget recommendations and would be effective in March, 2014)

– $83 million “freed up” by this move, which will be applied so as to reduce austerity cuts to local systems (but, mid-year increase in employer’s share may well fall entirely on local systems)

LEGISLATION• HB70 – provides an opportunity for some medically

fragile students to use the Special Needs Voucher without meeting the 1-year public school attendance requirement (waiver must be granted by SBOE)

• HB 284 – “Return to Play” Act, requiring each LBOE to adopt a policy on how to handle concussion-related injuries in athletes, provide information to parents, and prohibit a return to play of an injured athlete until he/she is cleared by a medical professional

LEGISLATION (cont’d.)• HB 131 – dual credit courses count the same as IB

and AP for HOPE eligibility purposes• HB372 – 2.0 GPA maintains eligibility for HOPE grant

at technical colleges• SB115 – students in residential treatment centers

no longer counted in local system’s accountability scores

• SB212 – all students receive “training” in CPR during required high school health course

• HB 337 – schools may stockpile epi-pens based on a prescription written by a doctor to the school

LEGISLATION (cont’d.)• SB100 – re-establishes the Career and Technical

Education Advisory Commission• HB115 – lengthens the number of days (to 90) that

the SBOE has to hear complaints about LBOE’s accreditation issues (plus, permits deliberations in executive session)

• HB116 – creates the Georgia Foundation for Public Education

• HB382 – limits the liability of a LBOE that has entered into a joint-use-of-facilities agreement with a local entity

LEGISLATION (cont’d.)• HB211 – exempts local school systems from motor fuel excise

taxes on fuel purchased for buses only until June 30, 2015.• HB244 – the “teacher evaluation” legislation, resulting from

the process developed by systems involved in the Race to the Top grant.– Evaluates both teachers and building leaders– Requires multiple observations, walk-throughs, etc., with

mandatory feedback deadlines– Changes dual rating system to one with four categories– Requires that 50% of the evaluation be based on student growth

on academic indicators– To be effective beginning with the 2014-15 school year (after more

field testing during 2013-14)

LEGISLATION (cont’d.)• HB283 – the “Christmas tree” bill with the following

ornaments:– Deletes a number of sections of Title 20 deemed to be obsolete

and clears up a deadline for IE2 systems– Adds a section specific to Sumter County (should have been local

legislation)– Makes a number of language changes (e.g., CTAE replaces

“vocational education” throughout)– Revises QBE weights (mostly related to new method of

calculating employer’s cost for health insurance)– Eliminates “middle grades” program funding (all get “middle

school” funding)– Caps charter system grants to a single system in a single year at

$4.5 million (intended to lessen fiscal impact of larger systems becoming charter systems)

HB283 (cont’d.)• Establishes new student/counselor ratio at 1:450

and new student/school psychologist one at 1:2420

• Deletes requirement that LBOE’s notify DOE and colleges of vacancies

• Clarifies that RESA Boards of Control do not have to meet LBOE training requirements

• Creates a grant program for technology upgrades in local systems ($7 million allocated in FY2014; rules to be set by DOE)

• Changes/simplifies parents’ responsibility for notifying DOE of intent to home school student(s)

HB283 (cont’d.)• Extends from 60 to 90 days the length of time a

LBOE has to respond to a charter petition• Allows use of “20 extra days” funds during school

day• Requires that enrollment preference for a charter

school be given to pre-K and K students, if any, at that charter school

• Includes new charter system language emphasizing school-level governance

• Creates (yet another) new foundation (under GOSA?) to accept donations to support public education

HB283 (cont’d.)

• Contents of SB243 included– Addresses issues raised over Georgia’s “Tax Credit

Scholarship” (aka, voucher) program– Requires voucher recipients to have first been

enrolled in public school (only for six weeks, with some exceptions)

– Raises the amount that SSO’s must spend on the vouchers (rather than on administration)

– Caps donations at $58 million (no automatic, inflationary increase)

YET TO COME…..• Changes to funding formula/mechanism???• Flexibility/accountability legislation (stalled in

Senate this year)• State “control” over local systems where

student academic performance is low???• Elected local superintendents???• Parent trigger legislation (also stalled in

Senate this year)???• Guns in schools???